22 sept 2018
Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile of Irish nationalist party Shin Fein
A senator from Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein has called Israel an apartheid regime and called on football officials in Belfast to withdraw from the upcoming games because they are to take place in Israel.
Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile said the “apartheid” regime “is involved in the slaughter of Palestinian civilians, flagrant human rights abuses, while showing complete disregard for international law.”
Speaking to The Belfast Telegraph on Thursday, he also called on the Irish Football Association (FAI) to cancel an upcoming Under-21 Euro Qualifier with Israel.
“Palestinian footballers and facilities have been deliberately targeted by Israeli military and the national team blocked from partaking in international fixtures due to disgraceful restrictions placed on them by the Israelis,” Ó Donnghaile said.
“UEFA (the Union of European Football Associations) have a responsibility not to put countries in the position of facing Israel in competitive fixtures by expelling them from their competitions while Israel continues its onslaught against the Palestinian people,” the official asserted.
Last week, the party called on the Northern Ireland to cancel a friendly with Israel in Belfast, which ultimately went ahead.
Europe rallying behind Palestine?
Also on Thursday, Spain said it would try to bring about a "European recognition" of an independent Palestinian state, noting that the country might itself go ahead and recognize Palestine if a consensus evaded the continent.
Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said he would launch an "intensive" consultation process with his counterparts to set a timetable for achieving a common position on the subject. If “the EU is not able to reach unanimous decision," the option of individual recognition of Palestine is “on the table,” he added.
Meanwhile, eight European countries issued a joint statement, which was read out at the United Nations in New York prior to a UN Security Council monthly debate on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They warned the regime against demolition of a Palestinian village in the West Bank.
The statement cosigned by the UK, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Poland said that the European Union had “repeatedly stated our long-standing position on Israel’s settlement policy, illegal under international law, as reconfirmed by Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016).”
The illegal status extended to “actions taken in that context, including the demolitions of Palestinian communities and possible forced transfers of population,” it added.
“The community of Khan al-Ahmar is located in a sensitive location in Area C, of strategic importance for preserving the contiguity of a future Palestinian state,” the countries said.
The Area C of the West Bank is the largest division in the occupied territory as it comprises 60 percent of the land, and is under full Israeli military control.
In early September, Israel’s Supreme Court rejected appeals against the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar and said a temporary injunction that had put the move on hold would expire within seven days.
The Tel Aviv regime says the village is built illegally, but the Palestinians say the demolition plan is part of the regime’s forcible displacement policy to make room for its settlement activities.
The United Nations has, itself, urged Israel not to demolish the village which is home to 180 Palestinians.
“The consequences of a demolition of this community and the displacement of its residents, including children, would be very serious,” the European envoys stated.
A senator from Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein has called Israel an apartheid regime and called on football officials in Belfast to withdraw from the upcoming games because they are to take place in Israel.
Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile said the “apartheid” regime “is involved in the slaughter of Palestinian civilians, flagrant human rights abuses, while showing complete disregard for international law.”
Speaking to The Belfast Telegraph on Thursday, he also called on the Irish Football Association (FAI) to cancel an upcoming Under-21 Euro Qualifier with Israel.
“Palestinian footballers and facilities have been deliberately targeted by Israeli military and the national team blocked from partaking in international fixtures due to disgraceful restrictions placed on them by the Israelis,” Ó Donnghaile said.
“UEFA (the Union of European Football Associations) have a responsibility not to put countries in the position of facing Israel in competitive fixtures by expelling them from their competitions while Israel continues its onslaught against the Palestinian people,” the official asserted.
Last week, the party called on the Northern Ireland to cancel a friendly with Israel in Belfast, which ultimately went ahead.
Europe rallying behind Palestine?
Also on Thursday, Spain said it would try to bring about a "European recognition" of an independent Palestinian state, noting that the country might itself go ahead and recognize Palestine if a consensus evaded the continent.
Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said he would launch an "intensive" consultation process with his counterparts to set a timetable for achieving a common position on the subject. If “the EU is not able to reach unanimous decision," the option of individual recognition of Palestine is “on the table,” he added.
Meanwhile, eight European countries issued a joint statement, which was read out at the United Nations in New York prior to a UN Security Council monthly debate on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They warned the regime against demolition of a Palestinian village in the West Bank.
The statement cosigned by the UK, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Poland said that the European Union had “repeatedly stated our long-standing position on Israel’s settlement policy, illegal under international law, as reconfirmed by Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016).”
The illegal status extended to “actions taken in that context, including the demolitions of Palestinian communities and possible forced transfers of population,” it added.
“The community of Khan al-Ahmar is located in a sensitive location in Area C, of strategic importance for preserving the contiguity of a future Palestinian state,” the countries said.
The Area C of the West Bank is the largest division in the occupied territory as it comprises 60 percent of the land, and is under full Israeli military control.
In early September, Israel’s Supreme Court rejected appeals against the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar and said a temporary injunction that had put the move on hold would expire within seven days.
The Tel Aviv regime says the village is built illegally, but the Palestinians say the demolition plan is part of the regime’s forcible displacement policy to make room for its settlement activities.
The United Nations has, itself, urged Israel not to demolish the village which is home to 180 Palestinians.
“The consequences of a demolition of this community and the displacement of its residents, including children, would be very serious,” the European envoys stated.
21 sept 2018
September 20, 2018 / By Palestinian Athletic ClubsTo: Bjørn Gulden, CEO of Puma
Cc: Management and Supervisory Board members: Michael Lämmermann, Lars Sørensen, Jean-François Palus, Jean-Marc Duplaix, Béatrice Lazat, Thore Ohlsson, Bernd Illig and Martin Köppel
10 September 2018
We are writing to urge Puma to end its sponsorship of the Israel Football Association (IFA) due to its deep complicity in Israel’s violations of international law and Palestinian human rights.
The IFA sponsors football matches in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, as exposed by Human Rights Watch and other human rights organizations. There are six Israeli football clubs located in Israel’s settlements, on stolen Palestinian land, that Palestinians are not allowed to enter. Israel’s settlements contribute to serious human rights abuses [pdf] and are a direct cause for restrictions on Palestinian freedom of movement, access to natural resources and ability to build homes and conduct business.
IFA’s involvement in Israel’s illegal settlements has been condemned by, among others, Wilfried Lemke, the UN special adviser on sport for development and peace, dozens ofMembers of the European Parliament (MEP), civil society and human rights groups and public figures from the world of arts and culture. Despite these global appeals, the IFA has decided to put politics above sports and refused to end its complicity.
As the main international sponsor of the IFA, Puma is lending its brand to cover up and whitewash Israel’s human rights abuses, including against Palestinian footballers. Palestinian players are routinely attacked, imprisoned and killed. They are denied the freedom of movement to attend their own matches. Palestinian stadiums have been bombed and destroyed. Israel even prevents Palestinians from importing football equipment and developing football facilities.
Puma’s sponsorship of the IFA legitimises and gives international cover to Israel’s illegal settlements. UN Security Council Resolution 2334 [pdf] (2016) denounces Israeli settlements as “flagrant violations” of international law. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is compiling a database of companies that do business in or with Israel’s illegal settlements as a practical step for accountability of complicit corporations.
Puma’s sponsorship of the IFA would land it on this list based on the selection criteria. In addition, your sponsorship of the IFA, an entity with operations in the settlements, makes Puma complicit and may expose it to consumer-led boycott campaigns in the Arab world and globally.
According to your Code of Ethics, Puma is committed “to human rights and intend[s] to act as a socially responsible company” wherever it operates.
We urge you to abide by your Code of Ethics by withdrawing your sponsorship of the Israel Football Association (IFA) until it ends its involvement in Israel’s grave violations of international law and human rights abuses against Palestinians.
Signed:
Cc: Management and Supervisory Board members: Michael Lämmermann, Lars Sørensen, Jean-François Palus, Jean-Marc Duplaix, Béatrice Lazat, Thore Ohlsson, Bernd Illig and Martin Köppel
10 September 2018
We are writing to urge Puma to end its sponsorship of the Israel Football Association (IFA) due to its deep complicity in Israel’s violations of international law and Palestinian human rights.
The IFA sponsors football matches in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, as exposed by Human Rights Watch and other human rights organizations. There are six Israeli football clubs located in Israel’s settlements, on stolen Palestinian land, that Palestinians are not allowed to enter. Israel’s settlements contribute to serious human rights abuses [pdf] and are a direct cause for restrictions on Palestinian freedom of movement, access to natural resources and ability to build homes and conduct business.
IFA’s involvement in Israel’s illegal settlements has been condemned by, among others, Wilfried Lemke, the UN special adviser on sport for development and peace, dozens ofMembers of the European Parliament (MEP), civil society and human rights groups and public figures from the world of arts and culture. Despite these global appeals, the IFA has decided to put politics above sports and refused to end its complicity.
As the main international sponsor of the IFA, Puma is lending its brand to cover up and whitewash Israel’s human rights abuses, including against Palestinian footballers. Palestinian players are routinely attacked, imprisoned and killed. They are denied the freedom of movement to attend their own matches. Palestinian stadiums have been bombed and destroyed. Israel even prevents Palestinians from importing football equipment and developing football facilities.
Puma’s sponsorship of the IFA legitimises and gives international cover to Israel’s illegal settlements. UN Security Council Resolution 2334 [pdf] (2016) denounces Israeli settlements as “flagrant violations” of international law. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is compiling a database of companies that do business in or with Israel’s illegal settlements as a practical step for accountability of complicit corporations.
Puma’s sponsorship of the IFA would land it on this list based on the selection criteria. In addition, your sponsorship of the IFA, an entity with operations in the settlements, makes Puma complicit and may expose it to consumer-led boycott campaigns in the Arab world and globally.
According to your Code of Ethics, Puma is committed “to human rights and intend[s] to act as a socially responsible company” wherever it operates.
We urge you to abide by your Code of Ethics by withdrawing your sponsorship of the Israel Football Association (IFA) until it ends its involvement in Israel’s grave violations of international law and human rights abuses against Palestinians.
Signed:
- Al-Jalama Youth Club
- Bruqeen Sport Club
- Al-Sila Al-Haretheya Sport Club
- Askar Youth center
- Al-Arqa Youth Sport Club
- Deir -Istiya Sport Club
- Al-Teba Sport Club
- Til sport club
- Arraba sport club
- Yasoof Sport Club
- Ta’ank sport club
- Al- Tadhamon Sport Club
- Burqeen sport club
- Kifl Hares Sport Club
- Jaba’ Sport club
- Bazarya sport club
- Jalboun sport club
- Masha Sport Club
- Marj Bin Amer Sport Club
- Duma Sport Club
- Rumana Sport Club
- Ebal Sport Club
- Zaboba Sport Club
- Asira ash-Shamaliya Club for Women
- Silat Ad-Dahr Sport Club
- Balata Youth Center
- Tura Al-Gharbiya Sport Club
- Employees Club- Nablus
- Anin sport club
- Ahli-Balata Sport Club
- Al-Yamoun Youth Sport Club
- Oref Sport Club
- Anza Sport Club
- Asira ash-Shamaliya Sport Club
- Yabad Youth Club
- Aqraba Sport Club
- Faquoaa Sport Club
- Asira Al-Qibliya Sport Club
- Al-Jadida Sport Club
- Qusen Sport Club
- Qabatya Sport Club
- Sarra Youth Club
- Hilal Arana Sport Club
- Palestinian Woman Club
- Kufr-Than Sport Club
- Beit Furik Sport Club
- Fahma Sport Club
- Burqa Sport Club
- Kufr- Ra’i Sport Club
- Qusra Club Association
- Al-Fondoqawmiya Sport Club
- Burin Sport Club
- Maithalon Sport Club
- Beita Sport Club
- Barta’a Sport Club
- Jabal Al-Nar Sport Club
- Jenin-Camp Youth Center
- Al Madina Club- Nablus
- Ajja Sport Club
- Central Valley Sport Club
- Brothers Sport Club
- Nablus Youth Club
- Palestinian Young Women Club
- Al-Qustol Youth Club
- Tayasir Sport Club
- Qaryout Club
- Deir Abu Da’if Sport Club
- Beit Dajan Sport Club
- Al-Ahli Qalqilya Club
- Al-Sawya Club
- Jenin Sport Club
- Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya Club
- Islami Qalqilya Club
- Youth center No.1
- Tubas Club
- Yasid Sport Club
- Azzun Sport Club
- Deir-Sharaf Sport Club
- ‘Aqqaba Sport Club
- Osarin Sport Club
- Jayyous Sport Club
- Hittin Sport Club
- Tammun Sport Club
- We are All Palestine Youth Club
- Jeinsafout Youth Club
- Sport Association Club
- Al-Fara’a Youth Center
- Sur Baher Jerusalemite Club
- Kufr-Thilth Sport Club
- Jurish Sport Club
- Al-Raja’ for Development and Sport Association
- Beit Surik Sport Club
- Kufr Zibad Association Club
- Samaritan Community Club
- Deir Jarir Sport Club
- Silwan Sport Club
- Immatain Youth Sport Club
- Madama Sport Club
- Ahli- Al RAM Club
- Kufr-Aqab Sport Club
- Habla Sport Club
- Umm Tuba Sport Club
- Kharbatha Bani Hareth Club
- Zeita Sport Club
- Kufr-Jammal Sport Club
- Jamma’in Sport Club
- Qalandya Camp Youth Center
- Kufr Al-Labad Club
- Nabi Ilyas Youth Club
- Beit Iba Youth Sport Club
- Al-‘Oja Youth Club
- Anata Youth club
- Kufr-Qaddum Sport Club
- Talfit Sport Club
- Beit Sira Sport Club
- Al-Ram Youth Club
- Hija Sport Club
- Al-Ta’awon Club for Persons with Disabilities
- Kharbatha Al-Misbah Club
- Islami Ramallah Club
- Qarawat Bani Hassan Club
- Biddu Sport Club
- Sama Sport Club
- Beit Almaqdes association for Arab Horses
- Biddya Sport Club
- Huwara Sport Club
- Sharafat Sport Club
- Arab Club -Beit safafa
- Al-Zawya Sport Club
- Majdal Bani Fadil Club
- Al-Eizariya Youth Club
- Shu’fat Sport Club
- Deir-Ballut Club
- Al-Musatqbal Club for People with Physical Disabilities
- Aboud Sport Club
- Alansar Jerusalemite Club
- Sarta Sport Club
- Salim Sport Club
- Jericho youth Club
- Islamic Youth Association Club-Al-Ram
- Salfit Sport Club
- Al-Awda Club for Persons with Disabilities
- Zbedat Sport Club
- Bethlahem Orthodox Club
- Kufr Ad-Dik Club
- Tulkarm Youth Center
- Kufr –Ein Sport Club
- Irtah Youth Sport Club
- Hebron Youth Club
- Alar Culture and Sport Club
- Al-Ersal Sport Club
- Al-Ramadin Youth
- As- samu Youth Club
- Deir Al- Ghusun Club
- Arab Orthodox Cultural Club- Beit Sahour
- Al -Fawar Youth Center
- Bani Na’im Youth Club
- Anabta Sport Club
- Al- Sawahra Sport Club
- Dura Youth Club
- Al Shuyukh Youth Club
- Tulkarm Cultural Sport Club
- Ein Al Sultan Youth Center
- Islami Bethlehem Club
- Yatta Youth Sport Club
- Qaffin Sport Club
- Jaba’ Youth Sport Club
- Nazlat ‘Isa Social Cultural Sport Club
- Beit Awwa Youth Club
- An- Nazla Ash- Sharqiya Club
- An- Nuway’imah Sport Club
- Susya Sport Club
- Al-Arroub Youth Center
- Thinnaba Sport Club
- Bil’in Sport Club
- The Capital of Birth Sport Club
- Taffouh Sport Club
- Shwayka Club
- Bir Nabala Sport Club
- Al-Siryani Club
- Beit Kahil Sport Club
- Nur Shams Center
- Al-Quds Sport Club
- De La Salle Sport Club
- Al-Karmel Yatta
- Ramin Sport Club
- Dura Al-Qari’ Sport Club
- Bethlehem Sports Club for the Disabled
- Surif Youth Club
- Far’un Sport Club
- Islami Sur Baher Club
- Salah Al-Din Sport Club
- Halhul Sport Club
- Bal’a Sport Club
- Fasayil Youth Club
- Al-Burj Youth Club
- Sa’ir Youth Club
- Beit Lid Sport Club
- Social Youth Center – Shuafat Camp
- Tarqumiyah Youth Club
- Beit Ummar Youth Sport Club
- An-Nazla al-Gharbiya Club
- Shuqba Sport Club
- Husan Sport Club
- Rabud Sport Club
- Attil Sport Club
- Ni’lin Sport Club
- The Palestinian Academy for Sport Talent
- Wadi al-Nis Sport Club
- Seda Youth Sport Club
- Old City Youth Association
- Baqa ash-Sharqiyya Club
- Al-khader Sport Club
- Iktaba Sport Club
- Saffa Sport Club
20 sept 2018
09/19/18 PACBI
We, the undersigned workers’, womens’ and farmer’s associations, appeal to chefs to cancel their participation in Round Tables 2018, scheduled to take place in Tel Aviv from November 9-23. It is an attempt to whitewash Israel’s grave violations of Palestinian human rights.
Several world-renowned chefs withdrew from previous editions of the culinary festival, sponsored by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, after learning of the festival’s agenda.
This year, the festival is using a feminist facade, through its “female edition” theme, to cover-up Israel’s decades-old system of occupation and apartheid. Palestinian women bear the brunt of of this system’s crimes and are doubly marginalized as a result.
The festival is partnered with companies involved in grave violations of Palestinian– and Syrian — human rights. Golan Heights Winery, Dan Hotels, and Argal Services Company all operate businesses in or that serve Israel’s illegal settlements, built on stolen land. Such settlements constitute war crimes under international law.
Round Tables claims to promote “cultural, economic and political dialogue through gastronomy,” while 72% of Palestinians besieged in Gaza are food insecure.
Israel, in fact, calculates [pdf] the number of calories needed to bring Palestinians in Gaza to the brink of starvation. These calculations are a basis for Israel’s siege. As reported by BBC, in 2006, Israeli government adviser Dov Weisglass said, “The idea is to put the Palestinians on a diet, but not to make them die of hunger.”
Israel’s occupation snipers have recently killed over 150 unarmed Palestinian medics, protestors and journalists, including many children, in Gaza as they protested for their basic rights under international law. Amnesty International condemned Israel’s shoot-to-kill-or-maim policy.
That is why we, with the majority of Palestinian society, have called for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), a nonviolent strategy to pressure Israel to respect our basic rights. It is inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement and the US Civil Rights movement.
We urge you to cancel your participation in this festival. Regardless of your intentions, Israel’s far-right regime will use your participation to mask its crimes against our people.
We sincerely hope that we can share our table with you after we are free from military occupation and apartheid.
Until then, we appeal to you to respect our struggle for freedom, by declining your participation in this festival.
Sincerely,
General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW)
General Union of Palestinian Workers
Union of Palestinian Farmers
General Union of Palestinian Peasants
Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI)
Via the BDS Nationial Committee.
We, the undersigned workers’, womens’ and farmer’s associations, appeal to chefs to cancel their participation in Round Tables 2018, scheduled to take place in Tel Aviv from November 9-23. It is an attempt to whitewash Israel’s grave violations of Palestinian human rights.
Several world-renowned chefs withdrew from previous editions of the culinary festival, sponsored by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, after learning of the festival’s agenda.
This year, the festival is using a feminist facade, through its “female edition” theme, to cover-up Israel’s decades-old system of occupation and apartheid. Palestinian women bear the brunt of of this system’s crimes and are doubly marginalized as a result.
The festival is partnered with companies involved in grave violations of Palestinian– and Syrian — human rights. Golan Heights Winery, Dan Hotels, and Argal Services Company all operate businesses in or that serve Israel’s illegal settlements, built on stolen land. Such settlements constitute war crimes under international law.
Round Tables claims to promote “cultural, economic and political dialogue through gastronomy,” while 72% of Palestinians besieged in Gaza are food insecure.
Israel, in fact, calculates [pdf] the number of calories needed to bring Palestinians in Gaza to the brink of starvation. These calculations are a basis for Israel’s siege. As reported by BBC, in 2006, Israeli government adviser Dov Weisglass said, “The idea is to put the Palestinians on a diet, but not to make them die of hunger.”
Israel’s occupation snipers have recently killed over 150 unarmed Palestinian medics, protestors and journalists, including many children, in Gaza as they protested for their basic rights under international law. Amnesty International condemned Israel’s shoot-to-kill-or-maim policy.
That is why we, with the majority of Palestinian society, have called for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), a nonviolent strategy to pressure Israel to respect our basic rights. It is inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement and the US Civil Rights movement.
We urge you to cancel your participation in this festival. Regardless of your intentions, Israel’s far-right regime will use your participation to mask its crimes against our people.
We sincerely hope that we can share our table with you after we are free from military occupation and apartheid.
Until then, we appeal to you to respect our struggle for freedom, by declining your participation in this festival.
Sincerely,
General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW)
General Union of Palestinian Workers
Union of Palestinian Farmers
General Union of Palestinian Peasants
Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI)
Via the BDS Nationial Committee.
16 sept 2018
Wafia Barghouthi, the mother of BDS co-founder Omar Barghouthi, passed away in Amman, on Friday, as Israeli occupation authorities ban him from travel.
In May of 2016, Israel effectively imposed a travel ban on him by refusing to renew his residency document, and Barghouthi was unable to travel to Jordan, to be with his mother during cancer surgery.
Omar writes, according to the PNN:
“Today, I experienced a personal Nakba. I am rarely broken, but today I am.
At 6:30 am, my beloved mother, Wafieh, which translates to loyal or faithful, passed away in her home in Amman, unexpectedly, swiftly, at the age of 76. She died on September 14, a day after the 25th anniversary of the Oslo Accords, without any apparent connection. Or so it seems.
My mother was born in Jerusalem in 1942, six years before the Nakba. She never cared much for Valentine’s Day, and she despised the “tacky red heart-shaped merchandise” that came along with it, but she was born on it.
They found her this morning on her kitchen floor with half a lemon in her hand, a smile on her face, and her suitcase at the door.
She was preparing her daily lemon water, to improve her immunity, as she was set to travel in a couple of hours — accompanied by my wife, Safa — to celebrate her victory over breast cancer. I was not planning to travel with them as I am still effectively under an Israeli travel ban.
When I saw her last, it was in Ramallah, a week ago. She was happy that she has recovered well and that her fingernails were finally growing normally after she had lost them all during chemotherapy. “These little victories are absolutely necessary,” she said. “They nourish our willpower to keep the good fight against the monster inside.”
Once we were discussing the concepts of victimness and resistance whether pertaining to the struggle against settler-colonialism or to cancer. She told me, “I do not see myself primarily as a victim, although I am a survivor of cancer. I see myself as a fighter who cannot relent. But I am so fortunate to have had the love and care and to be able to get medical treatment. How many sisters with cancer in Gaza are not allowed to travel for treatment and cannot get treated in Gaza either due to the fascist siege? It is beyond cruel and criminal. It’s fascist. I do not know how much longer I’ll live, but I shall dedicate my time to fight for their and their loved ones’ right to have this most fundamental right of theirs respected.”
She then went on a tirade against the Palestinian leadership for “failing to fight for our most basic rights; not just the right of return for refugees but also the right to life itself.”
Those who know my mother would know that political tirades are a genuine part of her unique and intriguing character. She was a secular Nasserite (supporter of the late Arab leader, Gamal Abdel Nasser), a feminist, an avid reader of literature and politics, an incredible cook, an unwavering supporter of popular struggles the world over against all forms of injustice, a moderate addict of Facebook (much less so of Twitter), a fan of the BDS-supporting Jewish Voice for Peace (US), a cleanliness freak, and an exceptional care giver with the biggest heart possible.
That heart stopped today, for the last time.
She was loving, responsible, fiercely independent, and quite expressive of her loathing of Zionism, religious coercion, sexism, despotic Arab regimes and, of course, the target of her daily attacks, the “hopelessly corrupt, co-opted and treacherous” Palestinian leadership.
My father, who was less intense but no less resolute in fighting for his beliefs and for our people’s rights, shared many of her opinions on politics and society, but not all.
He passed away 12 years ago.
He was among the independent founders of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Jerusalem in 1964. Throughout his activity in the PLO in various positions (voluntary, not paid), he consistently opposed and often publicly condemned every effort by the leadership to surrender Palestinian rights.
After the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993, he publicly attacked it, considering it a form of capitulation to Israel’s settler-colonial project. My mother was 100% in agreement with him. But she did not much like the fact that he still had to meet Palestinian leaders from various political parties to explain his opposition to Oslo.
Whenever those meetings happened in their home in Amman, his assorted guests of politicians had to listen to mother’s unsolicited views. She would use the occasion of offering hospitality (she is a great cook, as I said earlier, so everyone looked forward to tasting her delicacies) to pause and offer a piece of her fearless mind.
She would usually start by reminding them how women’s voices are becoming less and less heard in the movement, to its detriment. And then she would share with them her analysis of what’s wrong with the movement, why it has strayed away from the liberation path, and what needs to be done to recover.
I’ll miss her tirades, her profound views on life, her unconditional love, her willpower, and her world-class sitt-il-hussun (a Levantine dessert of a special dough stuffed with walnut, black sesame and cinnamon, fried and dipped into a sugary syrup).
My lawyer is still trying to get me a reprieve of the de facto travel ban imposed on me so I can attend my mother’s funeral in Amman. In contempt of a 2016 court decision, the Israeli Ministry of Interior has for more than two months failed to renew my travel document, without which I cannot travel.
They are trying to punish me for my role as a human rights defender in the BDS movement for Palestinian rights. They think they will break me or deter me. Little do they know that this branch comes from that tree, and that tree has its strong roots deep in the fertile ground of Palestinian identity, Palestinian quest for justice and freedom, Palestinian resistance and Palestinian insistence on life that is worth living.
Wafieh, you have lived a life of “loyalty” and “faith” to your principles, to your people’s struggle, to your loved ones. I shall forever be faithful to your loving memory and the lessons you have taught me.”
In May of 2016, Israel effectively imposed a travel ban on him by refusing to renew his residency document, and Barghouthi was unable to travel to Jordan, to be with his mother during cancer surgery.
Omar writes, according to the PNN:
“Today, I experienced a personal Nakba. I am rarely broken, but today I am.
At 6:30 am, my beloved mother, Wafieh, which translates to loyal or faithful, passed away in her home in Amman, unexpectedly, swiftly, at the age of 76. She died on September 14, a day after the 25th anniversary of the Oslo Accords, without any apparent connection. Or so it seems.
My mother was born in Jerusalem in 1942, six years before the Nakba. She never cared much for Valentine’s Day, and she despised the “tacky red heart-shaped merchandise” that came along with it, but she was born on it.
They found her this morning on her kitchen floor with half a lemon in her hand, a smile on her face, and her suitcase at the door.
She was preparing her daily lemon water, to improve her immunity, as she was set to travel in a couple of hours — accompanied by my wife, Safa — to celebrate her victory over breast cancer. I was not planning to travel with them as I am still effectively under an Israeli travel ban.
When I saw her last, it was in Ramallah, a week ago. She was happy that she has recovered well and that her fingernails were finally growing normally after she had lost them all during chemotherapy. “These little victories are absolutely necessary,” she said. “They nourish our willpower to keep the good fight against the monster inside.”
Once we were discussing the concepts of victimness and resistance whether pertaining to the struggle against settler-colonialism or to cancer. She told me, “I do not see myself primarily as a victim, although I am a survivor of cancer. I see myself as a fighter who cannot relent. But I am so fortunate to have had the love and care and to be able to get medical treatment. How many sisters with cancer in Gaza are not allowed to travel for treatment and cannot get treated in Gaza either due to the fascist siege? It is beyond cruel and criminal. It’s fascist. I do not know how much longer I’ll live, but I shall dedicate my time to fight for their and their loved ones’ right to have this most fundamental right of theirs respected.”
She then went on a tirade against the Palestinian leadership for “failing to fight for our most basic rights; not just the right of return for refugees but also the right to life itself.”
Those who know my mother would know that political tirades are a genuine part of her unique and intriguing character. She was a secular Nasserite (supporter of the late Arab leader, Gamal Abdel Nasser), a feminist, an avid reader of literature and politics, an incredible cook, an unwavering supporter of popular struggles the world over against all forms of injustice, a moderate addict of Facebook (much less so of Twitter), a fan of the BDS-supporting Jewish Voice for Peace (US), a cleanliness freak, and an exceptional care giver with the biggest heart possible.
That heart stopped today, for the last time.
She was loving, responsible, fiercely independent, and quite expressive of her loathing of Zionism, religious coercion, sexism, despotic Arab regimes and, of course, the target of her daily attacks, the “hopelessly corrupt, co-opted and treacherous” Palestinian leadership.
My father, who was less intense but no less resolute in fighting for his beliefs and for our people’s rights, shared many of her opinions on politics and society, but not all.
He passed away 12 years ago.
He was among the independent founders of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Jerusalem in 1964. Throughout his activity in the PLO in various positions (voluntary, not paid), he consistently opposed and often publicly condemned every effort by the leadership to surrender Palestinian rights.
After the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993, he publicly attacked it, considering it a form of capitulation to Israel’s settler-colonial project. My mother was 100% in agreement with him. But she did not much like the fact that he still had to meet Palestinian leaders from various political parties to explain his opposition to Oslo.
Whenever those meetings happened in their home in Amman, his assorted guests of politicians had to listen to mother’s unsolicited views. She would use the occasion of offering hospitality (she is a great cook, as I said earlier, so everyone looked forward to tasting her delicacies) to pause and offer a piece of her fearless mind.
She would usually start by reminding them how women’s voices are becoming less and less heard in the movement, to its detriment. And then she would share with them her analysis of what’s wrong with the movement, why it has strayed away from the liberation path, and what needs to be done to recover.
I’ll miss her tirades, her profound views on life, her unconditional love, her willpower, and her world-class sitt-il-hussun (a Levantine dessert of a special dough stuffed with walnut, black sesame and cinnamon, fried and dipped into a sugary syrup).
My lawyer is still trying to get me a reprieve of the de facto travel ban imposed on me so I can attend my mother’s funeral in Amman. In contempt of a 2016 court decision, the Israeli Ministry of Interior has for more than two months failed to renew my travel document, without which I cannot travel.
They are trying to punish me for my role as a human rights defender in the BDS movement for Palestinian rights. They think they will break me or deter me. Little do they know that this branch comes from that tree, and that tree has its strong roots deep in the fertile ground of Palestinian identity, Palestinian quest for justice and freedom, Palestinian resistance and Palestinian insistence on life that is worth living.
Wafieh, you have lived a life of “loyalty” and “faith” to your principles, to your people’s struggle, to your loved ones. I shall forever be faithful to your loving memory and the lessons you have taught me.”
12 sept 2018
Supporters of Palestinian rights in France Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC) / France
HelloAsso, a French company that provides online payment services, has rejected pressure by Israel lobby groups to shut down the accounts of two French groups which support the BDS movement for Palestinian human rights.
HelloAsso will continue to provide services to both Association France Palestine Solidarity (AFPS) and BDS-France.
HelloAsso publicized its decision in a tweet explaining that it supports the right of citizens to call for BDS as part of freedom of expression.
In 2016, the European Union stated:
“The EU stands firm in protecting freedom of expression and freedom of association in line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which is applicable on EU Member States’ territory, including with regard to BDS actions carried out on this territory.”
Translation of HelloAsso tweet from French original:
[…] “HelloAsso is an apolitical platform that does not take any position regarding the claims of the BDS movement. HelloAsso nevertheless considers this movement as within the realm of free expression and not as discriminatory or antisemitic.
HelloAsso’s position is supported by the European Union, which has clearly stated it favours protecting freedom of expression and association, including the right to advocate for BDS .
Therefore, the HelloAsso account of AFPS (Association France Palestine Solidarity) will not be removed.
To all those who criticize us for hosting these organizations, we respond that the conflation that allows attacks on these organizations is dangerous because it conflates antisemitism, which we condemn without ambiguity, and criticism of the state of Israel, which is a political opinion. This freedom of expression is a fundamental right.
Since its creation, HelloAsso has striven to support freedom of association and to protect the right to freedom of speech because we are a platform that is committed to the model of [non-profit] association and at the same time apolitical, open and enriched by differences of opinion, a reflection of our society.”
The Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) is the largest coalition in Palestinian civil society. It leads and supports the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement for Palestinian rights.
HelloAsso, a French company that provides online payment services, has rejected pressure by Israel lobby groups to shut down the accounts of two French groups which support the BDS movement for Palestinian human rights.
HelloAsso will continue to provide services to both Association France Palestine Solidarity (AFPS) and BDS-France.
HelloAsso publicized its decision in a tweet explaining that it supports the right of citizens to call for BDS as part of freedom of expression.
In 2016, the European Union stated:
“The EU stands firm in protecting freedom of expression and freedom of association in line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which is applicable on EU Member States’ territory, including with regard to BDS actions carried out on this territory.”
Translation of HelloAsso tweet from French original:
[…] “HelloAsso is an apolitical platform that does not take any position regarding the claims of the BDS movement. HelloAsso nevertheless considers this movement as within the realm of free expression and not as discriminatory or antisemitic.
HelloAsso’s position is supported by the European Union, which has clearly stated it favours protecting freedom of expression and association, including the right to advocate for BDS .
Therefore, the HelloAsso account of AFPS (Association France Palestine Solidarity) will not be removed.
To all those who criticize us for hosting these organizations, we respond that the conflation that allows attacks on these organizations is dangerous because it conflates antisemitism, which we condemn without ambiguity, and criticism of the state of Israel, which is a political opinion. This freedom of expression is a fundamental right.
Since its creation, HelloAsso has striven to support freedom of association and to protect the right to freedom of speech because we are a platform that is committed to the model of [non-profit] association and at the same time apolitical, open and enriched by differences of opinion, a reflection of our society.”
The Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) is the largest coalition in Palestinian civil society. It leads and supports the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement for Palestinian rights.
The US administration is considering measures to ban and sanction the international movement to boycott Israel, from U.S. universities where the movement thrives.
Hebrew sources said, according to the PNN, that the U.S. has already started taking steps to ban the BDS movement on American campuses, after Kenneth L. Marcus was appointed as the new director of the Department of Civil Rights in the United States.
Marcus announced the start of an investigation into old cases, the most important of which was the Rutgers University case, in New Jersey, where there will be an investigation into its activities, and deal with a number of reported anti-Semitic incidents against Jewish students, several years ago.
The Obama administration closed the file, at the time; however, Marcus told the Zionist Organization in America that he would cancel the decision of the Obama administration and reconsider the case, to see if it is one of religious hatred or attacks on ethnic groups.
According to Israeli media, the Trump government also began to define the activities of the boycott campaign against the State of Israel as anti-Semitic.
Arab and Palestinian activists and supporters at the United States expressed their disappointment with the anti-BDS decision, saying that the US administration has taken a side in the conflict and “decided to accuse all those who sympathize with the Palestinian cause as anti-Semitic.”
Hebrew sources said, according to the PNN, that the U.S. has already started taking steps to ban the BDS movement on American campuses, after Kenneth L. Marcus was appointed as the new director of the Department of Civil Rights in the United States.
Marcus announced the start of an investigation into old cases, the most important of which was the Rutgers University case, in New Jersey, where there will be an investigation into its activities, and deal with a number of reported anti-Semitic incidents against Jewish students, several years ago.
The Obama administration closed the file, at the time; however, Marcus told the Zionist Organization in America that he would cancel the decision of the Obama administration and reconsider the case, to see if it is one of religious hatred or attacks on ethnic groups.
According to Israeli media, the Trump government also began to define the activities of the boycott campaign against the State of Israel as anti-Semitic.
Arab and Palestinian activists and supporters at the United States expressed their disappointment with the anti-BDS decision, saying that the US administration has taken a side in the conflict and “decided to accuse all those who sympathize with the Palestinian cause as anti-Semitic.”
